Alisha: A dark Romance Ch. 04

It took Ali a moment or two to consider and then agree; her daughter squealed in happiness and hugged her.

I looked down to the boat and gestured at Sandy. "I take it she's staying on the boat?"

"I know you said get rid of the security circus, but I do need her around. I've got a lot I need to sort out if I'm allowed to stay here. The business won't run itself."

"She was never the problem, she's welcome to sleep on the boat, but you might as well tell her to come up here if you need her."

Ali nodded and called down to Sandy. She made her way up to us and sat down at the table.

Ali asked me, "Is Sandy invited on Saturday?"

"It's a birthday party for Sophie, Pete's wife's," I explained to Sandy. "We're all going, and I'm sure Sophie would be happy if you were to come as well."

Sandy seemed to take a glance at Ali before she answered. "I'd like to join you." Then she pulled out her phone and said, "I'll tell security to organize a team."

I plucked the phone from her fingers. "No damn it, what did I say about security earlier? These are friends of mine, and we don't need any security goons."

She visibly swallowed and then nodded her understanding. I placed the phone back in her hands.

Sandy spent the next couple of days at the cottage, only returning to the boat to sleep. I was comfortably off, Ali, on the other hand, was rich with a capital R and still had to run her businesses.

I was shocked to find out how much her decision not to attend the autumn Paris fashion week was potentially going to cost her. Her fees alone for modeling at two of the fashion shows would have in the thousands of pounds, and that was nothing compared to the orders she would generate for her own fashion business.

We were sitting on the terrace, Julia was in the pool with Abigail, and the two girls were enjoying each other's company and seemed to have become close friends, despite their age difference.

Sandy was becoming more upset and frantic with Ali. There had been several heated discussions between the pair of them that stopped as soon as I appeared.

Finally, after a day of half aborted conversations, it came to a head, and Sandy threw caution to the wind.

"You just can't cancel on Maurice's show," Sandy argued. "He's supported you for years; it's the last he'll be in charge of before he retires, and so many of the items are designed with you in mind."

"I can't, I know how important it is to him, but I just can't," Ali said. "I've got a chance to get my life back, and I'm going to grasp it with both hands. I put my damn career before my marriage once before, and I'm not going to do it again."

"It's not like you to let people down," I said as I sat down beside them, and regretted what I'd said immediately. Ali gave me a hurt look and started crying. Shit, I honestly hadn't meant it as a dig.

"Ali, that's not what I meant. Forget what happened between us, but in all the years I knew you I can't remember you ever letting a friend down once you agreed. What does all this entail?"

Sandy responded. "Ali had agreed to model for both Maurice and Christiana's shows at the fashion week. Plus, there are the events we have planned for the Ali Mac brand."

"When is it?"

Both of them looked surprised at my lack of knowledge. "Fashion week, "Ali said.

I sighed, "You'll have to be a bit more detailed than that, love."

"It's the last week in September, this year," contributed Sandy. "We were scheduled to be in Paris for the best part of two weeks."

"So," and I made a show of checking the calendar on my phone. "It looks like I'm free those weeks. Want me to come with you?"

Ali's face lit up, "You would, you will?"

"I've missed seeing you on the catwalk." I had an ulterior motive; I wanted to see how much, if anything, Ali was willing to give up. I was also going to be intrigued to see how Ali was going to explain my presence.

"And you can't imagine how much I missed seeing you at the shows. There's so much I want to show you," Ali said. "But I'm not going to change my mind. I want to stop modeling and concentrate on the business. Sandy, I need you to call and let them know I'll be there, but this will be the last time I'll be on the catwalk for any other fashion house."

That evening I gave into my baser desires. Ali had been bubbly all evening, discussing the logistics of fashion week with Sandy. She was so much like her old self that I would have thought the clock had been turned back and she was the Ali of old again, the girl of my dreams.

After dinner, Julia had grinned at me and announced she was going to sleep on the boat this evening. Her mother sheepishly looked up at her from my side and nodded her approval.

As soon as Julia and Sandy had left, Ali took my hand and led me upstairs. She performed her version of magic and between one blink and the next, went from dressed to naked. I'd seen her undressed many times over the last few days, but this was the first time I'd seen her naked.

She turned to face me, "Please, Ben, make love to me. I know I don't deserve you, but I've missed that amazing feeling I get when you possess me."

She looked at me with a mix of desire and hopefulness. "Please, Ben," she said again.

I can't help it; I'm a sucker for a beautiful naked woman in my bedroom. My cock thought for me, forcing me to strip and join her on the bed. She pushed me onto my back and grasped my treacherous member before sucking the head into her mouth.

She punished him to within an inch of his life. Sucking and stroking, swelling her sensual tongue along the quivering shaft.

"Ohhh, fuccckk," I groaned out, so eloquent in spite of the waves of pleasure coursing through my groin.

"I'm gonna cum," I gasped out, my fingers tangled in her hair.

She just sucked harder, and with eyes squeezed tightly shut, I spent myself in waves of pleasure into her welcoming mouth. My world is contracting to the spurts of seed that burned with agonizing pleasure as they coursed along my cock.

Ali never released her grip as I filled her mouth, sucking and swallowing until she had extracted the last drop, and still, she didn't stop. Traitorous me never stood a chance. There was no opportunity to soften and hide his shame. Ali's mouth kept him hard and eager to betray me again.

Ali straddled me and with a long groan of pleasure and satisfaction, slid her pussy down the length of my cock. We bottomed out with about an inch of my hard cock left outside. Her pussy was tight, far tighter than I remembered, squeezing the traitor inside her, resisting his assault. She groaned and gasped, quivering for a second then remained still. We kissed, and now my mouth betrayed me, our tongues mating, I could taste myself on her probing tongue.

Ali groaned, "Push," she demanded. "Fill me, take back what was always yours."

I pushed up, and the last inch easily slipped inside the slick wet passage. We rested this way for a minute, hearts beating in unison, then I grasped her waist and rolled her over onto her back. She eagerly wrapped her legs around my waist, pinning me to her. I caressed her breast and had my tongue in her mouth. I shifted my hips, changing my angle of penetration slightly, and my hard thrusting cock came in contact with her G-spot.

Ali came apart. She screamed, invoked the name of God and calling me the son of the devil in the same breath. Her breath came hard and fast; she was gasping to fill her lungs. She was whimpering and crying at the same time and trying to tell me to fuck her harder.

She cried out, screaming, "l can feel your cock growing and throbbing inside me."

Her body went into some kind of earthquake mode. She was the only woman I'd ever had do this. She was shaking so hard that little ripples were running across her skin in all directions. She was lost in the beginning of one violent orgasm. I kept up my efforts, long deep strokes through her G-spot. After what seemed an age, I came, filling her with cum. I would stop moving and hold her at my deepest penetration, spasm, then do it again. It went on and on for me. I lost myself in the moment.

I started back to reality. I found Ali lying in my arms, curled up around me. She was panting, and her heart was pounding. I wasn't sure she was truly conscious.

Her eyes fluttered, and she raised her head and focused her eyes on me. She said, "Wow," and lay her head back down on my shoulder. Her legs dropped away from my waist, and my softening member, having completed his traitorous mission, slipped out of her.

I'd like to say that we made love all night. We didn't; we were so emotionally drained by the earlier event that we curled up in each other's arms and quickly fell asleep.

I woke in the early light of the morning; I have no idea how Ali did it. After the passion of the previous night, I guessed I looked and felt like something the cat had dragged in. She, on the other hand, looked serene; she glowed with an inner brightness. She lay on her back with an arm draped across my torso. Her long black hair splayed out on the pillow, framing the contented smile that lit up her features. Her body stretched languidly beside me, a sheet tangled around her long sinuous legs. The tuft of black curly hair at the apex of those legs, matted with streaks of dried cum, was the only real evidence of our lovemaking.

I managed to ease out of bed without waking her and relieve the pressure on my poor bladder.

A shaft of early morning golden sunlight from the open windows flowed over the woman on the bed. My camera was on my desk, and I managed to capture some images before Ali opened her eyes.

"If you've finished playing around," she murmured, "you need to get back here and fuck me again."

My body involuntarily told her yes, but I hesitated. I sat down on the side of the bed. "Ali, love, I'm scared," I told her.

She sat up and slid behind me, her arms wrapping around me. "Why, love?"

"I don't know if I could face it if you were to reject me again," I said.

"I never meant to hurt you, Ben," Ali said, and she kissed the back of my neck. "I know I made a big mistake, but it's not one I'm ever going to repeat. If only you'd waited for me a bit longer, I'd have come to my senses, and this may never have happened."

"So we just start fresh, forget the last 13 years, is that what you want?"

"Yes, please." She said. "Ben, I was faithful to you for most those years, and I would have been faithful for all of them if those bastards hadn't lied to me."

"I know, I wasn't an angel either, Ali."

She pulled me back to lie beside her, and her fingers traced their way down my chest. She whispered, "I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I love you."

I kissed her, and she eagerly kissed me back. "I love you, too," I had to admit.

"So we're a couple again?"

"We are," I agreed.

Ali squealed like a teenager and jumped on top of me, rubbing her naked body against me. She moaned as my cock firmed and stiffened, sliding between her legs and rubbing along her pussy lips.

"Christ," I groaned.

She rose up on her knees, looking down at me with desire and need. There was nothing subtle about our joining. Ali grasped my cock and guided the head between her pussy lips. She dropped down, engulfing me and rocking her hips. She supported herself with her hands on my shoulders as she rocked and ground her pelvis against mine.

She was gasping, almost pleading for her orgasm. I took her screaming over the edge by pinching her hard nipples. Again she shuddered, crying out my name, her pussy squeezing my throbbing cock. She fell forward, and I made the last few thrusts, taking my pleasure from her body, coming with my cry of satisfaction.

Ali whimpered, wriggling to get more comfortable on top of me, smiling happily and kissing and whispering into my neck. "I love you, Ben."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday afternoon saw the four of us walking the short distance to Pete's place. This was an unusual occurrence for Ali. Going to a party for her usually meant dressing up, a limousine and masses of security.

Ali had finally decided after a lot of debate to wear a pale yellow sundress that flowed around her thighs as she walked. I'd forgotten the perverse pleasure I used to get, watching Ali trying to decide what to wear for any occasion. Countless dresses paraded in front of me as she watched me for a hint of approval. The final dress she decided on was classically understated, yet elegant, and it brought back fond memories of long gone summers and walks along the Downs.

Julia watched me taking in her mother as she walked beside Sandy, a couple of paces in front of me. "You look lost in thought, Dad. What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Nothing bad," I reassured her. "Just memories of your mother before we got married; she wore a dress like that to a picnic on the Downs, our second summer together."

"It's one of her designs." Julia gestured at the three of them, "We are all wearing clothes that Mum designed."

Julia took hold of my hand, "This trip is a whole lot of firsts for me. The first time I'm part of a family, first time I've had a Dad. First time I walked to a restaurant and had wine, and the first time I'm going to a party with two parents."

At almost 13, my daughter was tall for her age, taking after her mother. I'd seen photos of her mother at her age and Julia had the same coltish beauty. She took after her mother except for her eyes; those were the same striking blue mine were.

Ali slowed and waited for us, taking my other hand, and we completed the short walk to the party like that.

Ali was the most nervous of us as we arrived at the farm. The terrace and surrounding trees had been draped with decorations and lights. The music was fighting for supremacy with the happy cries of the children in the pool.

Julia looked at the pool and asked, "Can I, Dad?"

"Yes, but wait a moment, I want to introduce Sandy and your mother to our hosts before you disappear."

"Sure, Dad."

Ali was surprisingly nervous as we walked over to join our hosts. Pete and Ali had met when we were all teenagers at school, but after that first year Pete had gone on to university. We'd gone to Pete and Jane's wedding, but that had been the last time Ali had seen Pete.

At a rough guess, there were 25 to 30 adults and another 15 children of all ages at the party. We were one of the last groups to arrive, and we were quickly made welcome. I'd been part of this community for the last decade, and I knew everyone there.

Sandy was content to greet our hosts, find a glass of wine and follow Julia over to the teenage pool party. Ali, on the other hand, was uncharacteristically withdrawn, her hand never leaving mine as we found seats near Pete and Sophie.

Sophie said to Ali, "Ben's photos of you don't do you justice. You're so much prettier in person." Sophie nodded in the direction of the pool, "And your daughter is just as beautiful. Look at her."

Julia was not in a bikini as I'd expected, she wore a high cut white one-piece costume that clung to her curves like a second skin. She stood poised on the end of the diving board, and every boy in or around the pool was watching her. I growled under my breath, and Ali tightened her grip on my hand.

"She'll be fine, Ben," Ali said. "She knows what to do."

"It's not her I'm worried about, it's that pack of hormone overloaded boys."

Julia, having achieved the degree of attention she sought, dived gracefully in a perfect arc into the pool. She broke the surface with barely a ripple, and the noise level around the pool rose as held breaths were released.

Pete laughed at my intense scrutiny of the pool. "Welcome to the joy of fatherhood, mate."

"Hey, does your clothing line come with a built-in chastity belt?" I asked Ali.

"Idiot!" Ali said, but there a glow of pleasure at my concern laced through her voice.

Sophie broached the question I'd been expecting. "So are you two back together?"

Ali said, "Yes."

I said, "Hopefully," and added, "I'd like it." Ali responded by drawing me into a kiss.

Sophie drew Ali to one side, and I could hear her asking Ali about her life as a model. Pete and I withdrew into that contented zone of man silence as we sipped from our bottles of beer.

Sophie began introducing Ali to her friends and relatives, making a long slow circuit of the garden, pausing by the pool to talk with their daughters.

Finally, Pete broke the silence between us. "Ali's even more beautiful than I remember from school. How the hell did you manage to snag her? I think every boy in the sixth form tried for her that first week."

"It wasn't me, Ali was the one who chased me. I never understood what she saw in me."

"I think a lot of us wondered the same thing." Pete looked across the garden to where Ali was standing and asked carefully. "So, are things good between you now?"

"Ali and Julia want us to be a family again, and I want it, too."

"Yet I hear a 'but,' when you say that."

"I don't know, I never stopped loving her, but the problem I have is I can't see what has changed. Ali got the career she always wanted, and even if she stops modeling, she's still the boss of her own business. I just can't see her wanting to give it all up for a life with me."

"I'm not so sure, Ben," he pointed at Ali. "Look at her, she's happy; she keeps glancing in your direction with love in her eyes."

"Christ, I hope you're right because I couldn't take that kind of rejection again."

I looked at Ali, and she smiled back at me. I gave her a little wave, and she headed back in my direction. She sat down on my lap and kissed me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We both fought for our marriage. It was always going to be close, too bloody close, to be honest. Ali and Julia spent the rest of the summer with me exploring our options until it was time for Julia to go back to school.

Ali flew back to the U.K. with Julia; I wasn't able to go with them to as we were right in the middle of harvesting and pressing the grapes, and I needed to in the fields from dawn to dusk. To be honest, that was just an excuse, I could have found the time if I'd wanted, but I had understood Ali needed the time away.

Ali was subdued when she returned to the cottage, a week later. After she'd left Julia, she'd spent several days in New York and Rome dealing with business commitments. When she did get back, she was on the phone to her office in Paris at least half a dozen times a day. It didn't take a genius to understand she was missing the hustle and bustle on the fashion industry.

She denied it, of course, when I brought up the issue, but my comfortable life in the French countryside was far removed from hers. Was I unrealistic in not compromising my lifestyle? Most definitely but I wasn't going to change my outlook. We had history and I been burned before, trying to adapt to her world.

Ali was as good as her word. A week before the start of the Paris fashion week, she put out a press statement from her Paris office, announcing her retirement from modeling after she completed her existing commitments at the shows.

There was the expected backlash in the press and social media at her announcement. That became intense for a couple of days when they couldn't locate her at any of her usual hideouts.

We intended to drive to Paris for the start of the fashion week. On the day we were due to leave, Jamal and the security team drove up to the cottage in a pair of Range Rovers early in the morning. I'd been aware that members of his team had been keeping an eye on Ali from a distance, they were pretty hard to miss once you knew that they were there. I'd ignored them, and they'd done the same to me, but this was the first time I'd seen Jamal since I'd asked him to leave.